News – The YouthQuest Foundation

The YouthQuest Foundation Year in Review: 2019

December 27, 2019 stevep Promo

3D ThinkLink teachers from Freestate, Capital Guardian and South Carolina Youth ChalleNGE Academies with YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks

Teachers are at the heart of our mission to change the lives of at-risk youth. That’s why, as we roll the closing credits for 2019, our 3D ThinkLink instructors top the list of people who played starring roles for the YouthQuest Foundation this year.

Thanks to the teachers we trained at National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs serving Maryland, South Carolina and the District of Columbia, 57 more cadets completed our 3D ThinkLink class this year. That brings the total number of Youth ChalleNGe cadets we’ve reached to more than 300 since 2013, when we began using 3D printing as a vehicle to teach underserved teens job skills and life skills.

Jamarr Dennis, Demyound Wright and Germaine Rasberry at 3D ThinkLink Teacher Training in February 2019 — *Teacher Training, February 2019*

This year’s instructors were: Germaine Rasberry and Demyond Wright from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy; Jamarr Dennis and Aaron Ancrum from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy; Keith Hammond and La-Toya Hamilton from DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

In addition to carrying out many other responsibilities at their schools, these teachers devoted time to conduct classes and print students’ projects, organize 3D-printing community service projects, and transport their cadets to Vocational Orientation field trips. They also traveled to our lab in Chantilly Virginia, in February and September to sharpen their skills at teacher training sessions. In June and November, they returned with top students selected for Advanced Training, which provided hands-on learning experiences to prepare the cadets for continued education and careers in 3D printing.

PHILLIPS Schools

As with the ChalleNGe programs, workforce development became a new priority this year in our partnership with the PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families.

The PHILLIPS teachers we trained have used their 3D ThinkLink skills to tailor our curriculum for their students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These students often have great attention to detail, deep focus, tenacity, pattern recognition and outside-the-box thinking skills that help them excel at 3D design and printing.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks is working closely with Sam Son, who oversees the 3D classes at PHILLIPS, to identify employment opportunities for young people with ASD.

PHILLIPS student Ladrious Eaton works with YouthQuest's powder/binder 3D printer — *PHILLIPS student Ladrious works on the iTech project*

A highlight of the year was a project Tom organized to demonstrate how we can help teens on the autism spectrum develop skills to become independent, successful adults.

PHILLIPS teachers Jim Field and Joseph Phillips brought Henry, Ladrious and John, students from the Annandale and Fairfax, Virginia, campuses, to our lab in June to be part of a unique cross-country collaboration with kids at a STEM-focused magnet school in Vancouver, Washington.

Award-winning teacher John Zingale’s 7^th and 8^th graders at iTech Preparatory did 3D scanning of 19^th-century artifacts from the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site to create an interactive virtual museum. But they had no way to make realistic, full-color replicas of the scanned artifacts that could be handled and studied without fear of damaging the originals. Tom arranged to have the PHILLIPS students use one of the powder/binder 3D printers in YouthQuest’s lab to create the reproductions for iTech.

Over the course of three days, Henry, Ladrious and John mastered every step of the process: taking in the 3D image files; preparing the files in the printing software; setting up and operating the printer; post-processing the printed objects; and packaging them for shipping to Vancouver.

Henry, John and Ladrious with box of 3D printed artifact replicas to ship to Vancouver iTech Prep — *Henry, John and Ladrious*

It was especially gratifying to have Henry involved in the iTech project. He was in our first 3D class at the PHILLIPS School in Annandale and attended a week of advanced training in our lab in 2017. Henry, who says he wants to be “a tech guru,” graduated from PHILLIPS in June.

The Mighty, a website that connects and empowers millions of people facing disabilities and health challenges, featured this article about the difference our program has made in Henry’s life.

The iTech project came full-circle when “Mr. Z” and some of his students visited our lab while they were in the DC area for the National History Day Contest. PHILLIPS Career Partners Director Lindsay Harris was there to let the students from Vancouver know how much the team from her school appreciated working with them.

Volunteers, Partners and Sponsors

In keeping with this year’s focus on teachers, it’s fitting that our Volunteer of the Year is a teacher.

2019 Volunteer of the Year Chris Adams with YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founders Allen Cage and Lynda Mann at VIP Reception August 1, 2019 — *Volunteer of the Year Chris Adams*

YouthQuest Co-Founders Lynda Mann and Allen Cage presented the award to Chris Adams, a Technology Education teacher at Franklin Middle School in Chantilly at our annual VIP Reception in August. Chris has been sharing his expertise with us for several years. This year, he facilitated the donation of two Z310 powder/binder 3D printers from Fairfax County Public Schools, our 2019 Community Partner Award winner. The professional-grade printers are vital to our job-training initiative.

Our 2019 Strategic Partner Award went to University of Maryland Terrapin Works in appreciation for hosting Vocational Orientation tours of the school’s 3D printing facilities and department of mechanical engineering for Capital Guardian cadets twice a year.

Harford Community College continues to be a valuable resource for our Freestate cadets, as David Antol provides tours of the school’s 3D printing lab. During a Vocational Orientation event in October, they got to meet Maxwell Herzing, a 2018 Freestate graduate who’s now one of Prof. Antol’s Engineering Technology students. Maxwell’s message to the cadets about the importance of doing something you love and not being afraid to make mistakes was right on the mark.

South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadet Ka’Dejah Riley with other 3D ThinkLink students at Vocational Orientation at University of North Carolina-Charlotte 3D printing lab — *Vocational Orientation at UNCC*

Dr. Jeff Raquet at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte Department of Mechanical Engineering and the 3D printing team at Duncan-Parnell in Charlotte provided valuable Vocational Orientation experiences for our 3D ThinkLink classes from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

All the success we’ve enjoyed this year would not be possible without the financial support of our sponsors. We were pleased to welcome DFS Construction Corporation and DCG Dominion Construction Group as first-time sponsors of our annual golf tournament in August, along with returning sponsors AOC Solutions, FEDAC, the Poole Foundation, the POH Group, Kipps DeSanto, Insperity, Gombos-Leyton, Jones Lang LaSalle, Old Dominion National Bank, CrossFit PR Star and Valley Forge Acquisition Corp.

2019 YouthQuest golf tournament volunteers at Trump National Golf Club Aug. 5. 2019 — *Golf tournament volunteers*

We’re also grateful to our golf tournament volunteers — Linda Ackerman, Emily Blake, Rachel Cage, Edna Davis, Nikki Gombos, Rob Hall, Val Hightower, Steve Levenson, Ingrid Louro and Tony Sanderson – along with the entire team at Trump National Golf Club, Washington DC.

Because of the contributions everyone has made to our mission this year, we’ve been able to help at-risk teens break the cycle of failure and get on course for success.

Three of this year’s students from SCYCA earned $1,000 scholarships for essays they wrote about what their 3D ThinkLink experience taught them.

“I believe that anybody and everybody can accomplish their goals in life. Why? Life is full lessons and blessings. That’s why I haven’t given up.” – Naomi Perez

“I want to show everyone at home and everyone who has ever doubted me I’m more than just the average teenager. I’m going to make something out of myself and I’m not going to go back to my old ways.” – Ka’Dejah Riley

“I can do anything … nothing is beyond my reach.” – Hunter Lusby

The Year in Photos

YouthQuest Charity Golf tourney, Trump National Golf Course, Sterling, VA, on Monday, August 5, 2019.

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3D ThinkLink Advanced Training Focuses on Job Readiness

December 12, 2019 stevep Promo

3D ThinkLink Advanced Training November 2019

The 3D ThinkLink students chosen to attend Advanced Training in our Northern Virginia lab gain valuable experience they can’t get in their classrooms at Youth ChalleNGe academies.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks and 3D ThinkLink Advanced Training students from Freestate and Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academies — *Tom Meeks and the cadets*

Last month’s sessions were more focused than ever before on preparing our students to compete for jobs that require 3D design and printing skills. They worked with professional-level equipment and learned about digital fabrication processes that go far beyond the simple, plastic-extrusion 3D printing they did on campus.

Cadets Hassan Lancaster and Jesse Henriquez from the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy, and Cian Moody and Christian White from Maryland Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, enjoyed four days of intensive learning in the lab with YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks.

We prepared for the week by studying current job postings to make sure every activity we planned was relevant to what’s happening now in the fast-growing and ever-changing world of advanced manufacturing.

3D ThinkLink students repair a Z310 3D printer during Advanced Training November 2019 — *Repairing a Z310 3D printer*

One highlight of the week came courtesy of our 2019 Community Partner Award winner, Fairfax County Public Schools, which donated two used Z Corp 310 powder/binder 3D printers to our lab. We’ve had one of them running since summer, but the other hadn’t been in operation for years. The cadets eagerly took it apart, cleaned and serviced it and did some troubleshooting. By the end of their first day in the lab, they had brought the old 310 back to life.

We were also pleased that YouthQuest volunteer Kanean Cruz was able to join us one morning to show the students how a desktop CNC machine works.

CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining is an example of traditional subtractive manufacturing. A cutting tool spinning at high speed carves an object out of a block of material. In additive manufacturing (3D printing), a moving print head deposits material in patterns, layer by layer, to form an object without any waste.

YouthQuest volunteer Kanean Cruz with 3D ThinkLink students from Freestate ChalleNGe Academy at Advanced Training November 2019 — *YouthQuest volunteer Kanean Cruz with students at Advanced Training*

In watching both processes side by side, our students learned that CNC and 3D printing are really two sides of the same coin. In both cases, the tool’s movement is guided by digital instructions called G-codes. The same design files our students create for 3D printing with Moment of Inspiration CAD (Computer Aided Design) software can be used to make objects with a CNC machine. Rapid prototyping shops and other digital fabrication businesses use a combination of additive and subtractive methods, so the CAD skills our students learn are doubly valuable to those employers.

Tom and the students got to try out a new Matter and Form 3D scanner that arrived just in time for Lab Week. Scanning is an alternative to CAD for creating virtual objects to be printed.

The students also got a taste of 3D printing with ceramics, something few people in the field have tried. Thanks to our Advanced Training, they can say they’re familiar with two methods of printing ceramics – powder and liquid resin – as well as using microscopes to examine the ceramic powder and a kiln to fire the printed pieces.

After four days of hard work, the cadets had an impressive list of experiences to add their resumés.

3D Printer Operation, Maintenance and Troubleshooting
– Operated SLA resin printer
– Repaired FDM (plastic filament) printers
– Repaired and serviced Z Corp 310 and 450 powder/binder printers
– Designed parts and printed them on Z450 full-color powder/binder printer
– Handled gypsum and ceramic powders

3D ThinkLink student Christian White from Freestate ChalleNGE Academy cleans 3D-printed ceramic parts during Advanced Training November 2019 — *Cleaning 3D-printed ceramic parts*

Post-Processing 3D Printed Parts
– Curing, support removal, sanding of SLA printed parts
– Depowdering and coating of powder/binder printed parts

Kiln Operation
– Performed ramp and hold firings of 3D-printed ceramic parts

Microscope Camera and Software
– Used focus stacks for ceramic powder particle distribution tests

CNC Machining
– Operated Carbide Nomad desktop CNC machine

Software
– Experience with Moment of Inspiration (CAD) and Cura slicing software

While all four cadets are interested in engineering, each has his own unique career path in mind. We wrapped up the week with a resumé review session, taking time to go over each student’s situation and tailor a plan for their next steps – community college, trade school, employment, military service or a combination of those.

Tom Meeks with 3D ThinkLink students from Freestate and Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academies on the final day of Advanced Training November 2019 — *It wasn’t ALL hard work!*

The cadets reviewed listings of jobs for which they’re already qualified and practiced answering job interview questions in ways that will impress hiring managers.

These young men have compelling stories to tell prospective employers about overcoming mistakes and turning their lives around.

Now, as they graduate from the ChalleNGe program and open new chapters, they will continue striving to achieve their career goals with the failure-is-not-final attitude we have instilled in them throughout their 3D ThinkLink experience.

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You can support our work by:
Making a donation to YouthQuest through our secure PayPal link
Choosing YouthQuest as your designated charity on AmazonSmile
Registering on Bidding for Good so you can take part in our online auctions, sign up for our golf tournament, and support other upcoming fundraisers
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YouthQuest Celebrates Supporters With Golf Tournament, Awards

September 5, 2019 stevep News

Players at YouthQuest golf tournament at Trump National Golf Club, Washington, DC August 5, 2019

Every August, we bring together YouthQuest Foundation supporters to show our appreciation and honor some of the special people who help us change young lives.

We fielded 19 teams for this year’s golf tournament on August 5 at Trump National Golf Club, Washington, DC. At our VIP Reception on August 1, we recognized our 2019 Strategic Partner, Community Partner and Volunteer of the Year award winners.

During the reception, Piper Phillips, President and CEO of PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families, and YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks gave guests an update on how our partnership is helping prepare students on the autism spectrum for meaningful employment. They showed this video about PHILLIPS students who took part in a cross-country 3D printing project that laid the groundwork for our new vocational training program.

YouthQuest Co-Founders Lynda Mann and Allen Cage presented awards to Volunteer of the Year Chris Adams, a Technology Education teacher at Franklin Middle School in Chantilly, and to Franklin Assistant Principal Robert Gibbs, representing Fairfax County Public Schools, our Community Partner of the Year.

Chris has been sharing his expertise with us for several years and has helped connect us with other Fairfax County teachers. When he found out his school was going to get rid of a barely-used Z310 powder/binder 3D printer, he thought of us. With his help, we arranged for Fairfax County Public Schools to donate the Z310 to us. It’s the perfect addition to our 3D printing lab, giving our advanced 3D ThinkLink students valuable, hands-on experience with a professional-grade machine as part of the job training and placement project we’re launching.

University of Maryland Terrapin Works Operations Manager Nathanael Carriere was on hand to accept our 2019 Strategic Partner Award. Terrapin Works encompasses a collection of 3D design and printing resources on the College Park campus. Nathanael and his staff host Vocational Orientation events every six months for cadets in our 3D ThinkLink classes at DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy. They take the cadets through the labs in Maryland’s recently opened A. James Clark Hall, showing them how engineering students use 3D printing.

Golf Entertainer Brad Denton trick shot demonstration at YouthQuest golf tournament August 5, 2019 at Trump National Golf Club, Washington, DC — *Golf Entertainer Brad Denton*

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Tysons, Virginia, hosted the VIP Reception and sponsored Golf Entertainer Brad Denton, who opened the tournament on Monday morning with an amazing trick shot demonstration before players headed out to spend a beautiful summer day on the Trump National Championship Course.

We were pleased to welcome DFS Construction Corporation and DCG Dominion Construction Group as first-time tournament sponsors, along with returning sponsors AOC Solutions, FEDAC, the Poole Foundation, the POH Group, Kipps DeSanto, Insperity, Gombos-Leyton, Jones Lang LaSalle, Old Dominion National Bank, CrossFit PR Star and Valley Forge Acquisition Corp.

Old Dominion National Bank team member Penny Bladich sinks a putt at YouthQuest golf tournament August 5, 2019, at Trump National Golf Club, Washington, DC — *Old Dominion National Bank’s Penny Bladich sinks a putt*

VIP guests at the tournament included Capt. Ken Dondero and Maj. Rudy Landon from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and Washington Redskins alumni Pat Fischer, Roy Jefferson, Raleigh McKenzie, Jerry Olsen and Bubba Tyer.

The secret to the repeated success of our annual fundraising event is the outstanding work of the entire Trump National team including the catering staff, grounds crew and caddies, along with our tournament volunteers: Linda Ackerman, volunteer coordinator, Emily Blake, Rachel Cage, Nikki Gombos, Rob Hall, Steve Levenson, Ingrid Louro and previous Volunteer of the Year award winners Edna Davis, Val Hightower and Tony Sanderson.

The 15^th annual Challenge at Trump National will be on Monday, August 3, 2020. It’s never too early to sign up. This form has all the details. Online registration will be available early next year.

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Going Back to School With 3D Printing Skills and More

August 27, 2019 stevep Blog

3D-printed plaques students made to thank sponsors of the Horizons Hampton Roads Summer Enrichment Program

Some students have an advantage as they return to school in Virginia’s Tidewater region. They’re the kids who learned about 3D design and printing in the Horizon Hampton Roads Summer Enrichment Program.

YouthQuest has been working with Horizons Hampton Roads since 2016 to adapt our 3D ThinkLink curriculum for the six-week program that serves children from low-income families in the Norfolk and Portsmouth area, helping them avoid summer learning loss.

The rising sixth-graders in our classes not only gain hands-on experience with computers, 3D printers and CAD (computer-aided design) software, they build confidence in themselves. They discover they can do something that seemed hard at first by learning from their mistakes and pushing ahead to achieve their goals.

Like the other at-risk kids YouthQuest reaches with the 3D ThinkLink Initiative – teens on the autism spectrum at the PHILLIPS schools and dropouts seeking a second chance in National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs – the Horizons Hampton Roads students always want to use their 3D skills to give back in some way. This summer, they designed and printed plaques featuring the logos of Horizons Hampton Roads sponsors to thank them for their support.

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YouthQuest Scholarship Winner: ‘Nothing Is Beyond My Reach’

July 10, 2019 stevep Promo

YouthQuest scholarship winners Ka’Dejah Riley, Hunter Lusby and Naomi Perez at 3D ThinkLink Vocational orientation at UNC-Charlotte

The latest students to earn scholarships in the YouthQuest Foundation’s essay competition say our 3D ThinkLink class showed them how to achieve their dreams.

South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy graduates Hunter Lusby, Naomi Perez and Ka’Dejah Riley won $1,000 apiece to continue their education and stay on course for success in life. The scholarships were announced at the academy’s commencement ceremony in June.

Since 2013, more than 300 underserved teens have completed 3D ThinkLink training at National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs, where we use an introductory class in 3D design and printing as a vehicle to teach both STEM-related job skills and important life skills such as problem solving, persistence and creative thinking.

Twenty-five ChalleNGe cadets have earned a total of $15,500 in scholarships for essays they wrote about the personal impact of their 3D ThinkLink experience.

The contest judge, New York Times bestselling novelist and longtime YouthQuest supporter John Gilstrap, noted the quality of the essays submitted in the most recent round of competition was significantly better than in previous class cycles. “Of them all, three stood out to me,” he said.

South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadet Naomi Perez with other 3D ThinkLink students at Vocational Orientation at Duncan-Parnell in Charlotte, NC — *Naomi Perez at Vocational Orientation*

Naomi Perez wrote in her essay that learning about 3D printing helped her overcome the self-doubt she had felt all her life.

Naomi was raised by her grandfather, an auto mechanic who taught her about his trade. Her goal is to join the Air Force and become a mechanical engineer.

“I enjoy putting stuff together,” she wrote.

Naomi said her favorite part of class was helping to assemble and calibrate a new 3D printer with YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks, who visited the SCYCA campus in the spring.

She said she learned so much that when her class went on a Vocational Orientation field trip to the Duncan-Parnell 3D printing center in Charlotte, North Carolina, to see an array of sophisticated, professional 3D printers, “it all seemed easy to me.”

“Now I can proudly say I feel like I’ve accomplished new and helpful things in 3D printing,” she wrote, adding that the scholarship would be “helpful for me to complete my dreams.”

“I believe that anybody and everybody can accomplish their goals in life. Why? Life is full lessons and blessings. That’s why I haven’t given up,” declared Naomi.

‘I’m Going to Make Something Out of Myself’

Along with classroom work and Vocational Orientation, cadets in our classes are required to do a community service project using their 3D skills.

3D printed tag made for children in hospital by South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy 3D ThinkLink class for community service project — *3D-printed tag from service project*

In his scholarship-winning essay, Hunter Lusby described the satisfaction he felt when he visited a local hospital to teach children about 3D printing and make objects with encouraging messages on them for the kids.

“I’ve always wanted to help children who are in hospitals,” he wrote.

“From seeing how I can help people by creating designs with ‘I Love You’ on it, to realizing that I can do anything and that nothing is beyond my reach,” said Hunter, “It’s boosted my self-esteem.”

Ka’Dejah Riley also gained confidence in herself as a result of her experiences in our 3D ThinkLink class.

“For me being a 16-year-old African-American female from Sumter, South Carolina, I felt like I have always been doubted and looked upon like I am not level-headed,” she explained in her essay.

Ka’Dejah said she used to get into trouble all the time because she could find anything positive that held her attention.

“I always knew I was smart, but I always made the wrong choices growing up,” she wrote.

She went to the ChalleNGe program to turn her life around. The 3D ThinkLink class taught by Germaine Rasberry is where Ka’Dejah said she discovered her “hidden talents.”

Ka’Dejah hopes to put those talents to work in the field of health care, where 3D printing is used for everything from prototyping medical devices to making models for surgeons to study before operating on patients, to creating prosthetics and even replacement body parts.

“Thanks to Mrs. Rasberry, the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy, and 3D-Printing, I have the knowledge and ability to be a better me and to live a better life.”

Click Here to Read the Three Winning Essays

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You can support our work by:
Making a donation to YouthQuest through our secure PayPal link
Choosing YouthQuest as your designated charity on AmazonSmile
Registering on Bidding for Good so you can take part in our online auctions, sign up for our golf tournament, and support other upcoming fundraisers
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3D ThinkLink Session Is a Hit at Steve Harvey Mentoring Event

June 26, 2019 stevep News

YouthQuest President Lynda Mann speaks about 3D ThinkLink Initiative at Steve Harvey mentoring camp June 15, 2019

YouthQuest joined Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy to teach fatherless teens about opportunities in 3D printing at Steve Harvey’s mentoring camp this month.

The presentation on Father’s Day weekend was part of a five-day event that drew more than 200 young men from across the country to The Rock Ranch in The Rock, Georgia. Activities included sessions on STEM programs, career development and motivation.

YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann made opening remarks and showed a video about the 3D ThinkLink Initiative, which teaches at-risk youth life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and perseverance while introducing them to 3D design and printing.

Keith Hammond, lead 3D ThinkLink instructor at CGYCA, followed up with a presentation about some of the many uses for 3D printing technology and a brief demonstration of the design software 3D ThinkLink students learn. Nearly 100 Capital Guardian cadets have completed YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink training since 2013.

Raynald Blackwell, director of the District of Columbia’s Youth ChalleNGe Program, also spoke to encourage the young men to consider career paths in science, technology, engineering and math that require 3D skills.

Afterward, teens crowded around a display table to see a printer in action, handle 3D-printed objects and ask questions.

Mentoring camp staffers were pleased. Several told Hammond it was the most interactive and interesting of all the presentations that day.

The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men, Capital Guardian and YouthQuest share the goal of helping young people recognize their potential and prepare to be successful adults through education and life-enriching experiences.

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You can support our work by:
Making a donation to YouthQuest through our secure PayPal link
Choosing YouthQuest as your designated charity on AmazonSmile
Registering on Bidding for Good so you can take part in our online auctions, sign up for our golf tournament, and support other upcoming fundraisers
____________________________________________

Spring 2019 Scholarship-Winning 3D ThinkLink Student Essays

June 21, 2019 stevep Blog

These students from the 2019 spring class cycle earned $1,000 scholarships for these essays about their 3D ThinkLink experience.

By Naomi Perez
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy

My name is Naomi, Perez. I’m 16 years old. I’m in a military school called SC Youth Challenge Academy. I came to prove everybody who doubted me wrong all my life. I’ve had people tell me don’t reach for stuff you later on won’t be able to accomplish. I’ve always been determined but also constantly doubted to the point where I question myself everyday if I should go for it or not. I’ve always liked to do right no matter how hard it would be. I would always try and put my best to it. Now I can proudly say I feel like I’ve accomplished new and helpful things in 3D printing.

3D Printing is useful in many ways in this world. In my life 3D printing became an open opportunity where I was able to concentrate and be able to use my creativity my mindset was all in for it.

I learned so much I would’ve never thought or expected to know or even understand. It was different when we went out on the field trip to Duncan Parnell. I’ve been learning so much in class that when I went out to the trip I felt like I was a part of it. I would look at all the machines and the 3D printing models and it all seemed easy to me.

It also became a routine for me to the point where I was just ready for school to end so I can go to 3D printing class. My favorite part of it was when we all helped to build the 3D printing machine. I learned where the parts came from and where they were made. I honestly owe it all to Mr. Meeks. He was there through it all feeding us information and knowledge about 3D printing. He would inform us about everything we needed to know.

My plans are to join the Air Force as a mechanical engineer. I enjoy putting stuff together. I was raised by my grandpa. He’s an auto mechanic and he has taught me everything I’ve needed to know in mechanics. For me this scholarship would be so great and helpful for me to complete my dreams and accomplish my goals. Because I believe that anybody and everybody can accomplish their goals in life. Why? Life is full lessons and blessings. That’s why I haven’t given up.

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By Ka’Dejah Riley
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy

I always knew I was smart, but I always made the wrong choices growing up. Growing up I didn’t put my mind to work in a positive way as much as I should have. Being in 3D printing has helped me explore further talents I never knew I had. 3D printing has helped me to find and utilize my unique assets.

When I was younger I really couldn’t find anything positive that grasped my attention. It’s seemed as if the only thing that caught my attention was trouble, it seemed so easy to find. Me being so gullible and naive, I did things people told me to do, believing them when they told me I wouldn’t get caught up in mischief. I regret most of the things I did in the past. Looking back, I wish I would’ve done better. For me to right my wrongs I came to South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy, where I found out about 3D printing and discovered my hidden talents.

Mrs. Rasberry introduced me and some other cadets to 3D printing. Mrs. Rasberry taught us the basics and from there we explored, and put our creative side to work. Mr. Tom Meeks taught us how to take apart and put together a 3D printer, and he imparted some his knowledge with us about 3D printing. I visited Duncan-Parnell and UNC in Charlotte North, Carolina.

For me being a 16 year old African-American female from Sumter, South Carolina, I felt like I have always been doubted and looked upon like I am not level-headed. 3D printing has helped me to understand I’m not here to please other people I’m here to live for me, and to make the best out what I have. I am so unique and creative in many ways I didn’t even realize. Thanks to 3D printing, I’m going home with knowledge I didn’t have before. I plan on pursuing 3D printing in the future.

I want to go in the medical field, and make prosthetic body parts. I will work with a 3D printer called a bio-printer to print artificial living tissue. I want to show everyone at home and everyone who has ever doubted me I’m more than just the average teenager. I’m going to make something out of myself and I’m not going to go back to my old ways, I’m going to utilize everything I have been taught. Thanks to Mrs. Rasberry, The South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy, and 3D printing, I have the knowledge and ability to be a better me and to live a better life.

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By Hunter Lusby
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy

I’ve always loved the thought of printing objects of my design. Now that I actually have a chance, it doesn’t feel real, like a fantasy or a dream. Then I look at my creation as it prints from the case up and I realize, this isn’t a dream. It’s reality.

3D printing has helped me realize many things. From seeing how I can help people by creating designs with “I Love You” on it, to realizing that I can do anything and that nothing is beyond my reach. It’s boosted my self-esteem because I actually got chosen for this. Then the thought of being able to go to Virginia to represent the whole Academy in 3D printing? That’s definitely a confidence builder.

One way that I can use what I’ve learned is through community service. From teaching children the fundamentals of 3D printing, to actually creating objects for kids. I’ve always wanted to help children who are in hospitals. With 3D printing, I could make them little teddy bears with encouraging messages on them. 3D printing is very useful in many ways. I believe this is the future of building technology.

If I was to be chosen to go to Virginia, it would honestly change my life. I could learn how to become better and advance my skills. Being chosen would also help me in life with finding a job. And with that job, I could influence others with my creations, therefore making the world a happier place.

Unique Cross-Country Partnership Brings History Alive in 3D

June 7, 2019 stevep News, Promo

ITech Prep Phillips YouthQuest partnership

The YouthQuest Foundation has brought together an unlikely team of young 3D innovators for a first-of-its-kind coast-to-coast collaboration.

Last year, John Zingale’s 7^th and 8^th graders at iTech Preparatory, a project-based-learning and STEM-focused magnet school in Vancouver, Washington created an interactive virtual museum with 3D images of artifacts they scanned at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Now, three high school students on the autism spectrum from the PHILLIPS schools in Northern Virginia have used those scans to 3D-print full-color replicas of the artifacts and send them to the kids in Vancouver.

“When I read about Fort Vancouver Virtual Reality, I saw an opportunity to teach some of the PHILLIPS students we work with how to operate a professional-level 3D printer while, at the same time, adding a new level of learning for the iTech students,” said YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks.

He contacted “Mr. Z” to discuss their mutual interest in using 3D visualization technology to bring history to life. The iTech students had accomplished a great deal by capturing images of the objects from the 1800s and sharing them on Sketchfab, a popular online platform for 3D content. What they lacked was a way to make realistic replicas of the artifacts.

YouthQuest not only had a powder/binder 3D printer capable of reproducing scanned objects in full color, it had experience in teaching students to complete such a project. Advanced 3D ThinkLink students from National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs worked in the foundation’s lab last year to scan a 2,300-year-old Apulian vase and 3D-print copies that can be handled and studied without fear of damaging the original artifact.

Meeks and Zingale agreed on a plan, and a cross-country partnership was born.

Project-Based Job Skills Training

Since 2013, YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative has been using 3D printing as a vehicle to teach important life skills that at-risk youth lack, such as critical thinking, problem solving, persistence and confidence. Originally designed for high school dropouts seeking a second chance at Youth ChalleNGe academies serving Maryland, South Carolina and the District of Columbia, the project expanded in recent years to include teens with neurodiversity at schools operated by the PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families in Annandale and Fairfax, Virginia.

Some of the plates scanned by Mr. Z's class and printed by PHILLIPS students — *Some of the plates scanned by Mr. Z’s class and printed by PHILLIPS students*

Common characteristics of people on the autism spectrum — attention to detail, deep focus, visual learning, tenacity, pattern recognition, outside-the-box thinking — help them excel at 3D design and printing. The students were highly engaged throughout the project. Turning the virtual artifacts from Fort Vancouver into tangible replicas demonstrated that operating and working in a 3D printing business is a viable career pathway for those on the autism spectrum.

Job training is a priority for PHILLIPS and YouthQuest because young adults with neurodiversity face more barriers to employment after high school than those with other kinds of learning disorders. Despite having the skills and desire to work, nearly half of 25-year-olds on the autism spectrum have never been employed, according to Autism Speaks.

PHILLIPS assigned three students from its 3D classes to the iTech project. John and Ladrious came from the Fairfax campus. Representing the Annandale campus was Henry, who completed a week of advanced training in YouthQuest’s lab in 2016 and is about to graduate from PHILLIPS.

3D ThinkLink students from the PHILLIPS Schools wrap up the 3D-printed artifact models to be shipped to the iTech Preparatory students in Washington who 3D scanned the objects from the Fort Vancouver National Histortic Site. — *PHILLIPS students wrap the printed pieces to ship to Vancouver*

Over the course of three days in the lab, the team mastered every step of the process: taking in the 3D image files; preparing them in the printing software; setting up and operating the powder printer; post-processing the printed objects; and packaging them for shipping to Vancouver.

Everyone took turns so each student got to do every task. Although Henry had not met John and Ladrious before, they all worked together well as they figured out strategies to accomplish their goals.

For young adults on the autism spectrum, developing communication and social skills is often more difficult than gaining technical skills. PHILLIPS Career Partners Program Director Lindsay Harris said she was amazed to see how easily the students were interacting when she visited the lab.

New Dimensions of Learning

Fort Vancouver Virtual Reality has already earned lots of attention for the iTech students and a Governor’s Award for their teacher. Zingale said adding YouthQuest and the PHILLIPS students to the mix is bringing a new dimension to the project that he “never even dreamed possible when we started.”

Zingale’s students began by creating an interactive virtual tour of Fort Vancouver in 2016, then started looking into ways of adding augmented reality to the experience. That led to experiments with various kinds of 3D scanning equipment and methods to capture images for the virtual museum.

YouthQuest has gone through the same process with scanning projects for its advanced 3D ThinkLink students. Both groups got the best results with photogrammetry, a process of taking pictures of an object from multiple angles and using software to combine the images into a 3D model. YouthQuest uses 3DF Zephyr while iTech tried several different types before deciding to go with Qlone photogrammetry software.

VIDEO: Meet the iTech Students — **VIDEO:** *Meet the iTech Students*

Making 3D prints of the scanned Fort Vancouver artifacts revealed some details that weren’t apparent from seeing them in only two dimensions on a computer screen. For example, the PHILLIPS team found that light reflected off white areas of certain plates showed up as natural-looking glare in the photos, but the 3D software interpreted the spots as objects. They showed up as large, white lumps on the printed plates.

Zingale told YouthQuest his students think it’s “extremely cool that others appreciated their work” and they want to continue improving their photogrammetry techniques with the knowledge they’re gaining from the new partnership with YouthQuest and PHILLIPS.

“From creating an interactive VR tour, to scanning artifacts and creating an online museum, to creating and designing mobile apps, to now holding color 3D printed replicas this is a journey like no other,” he wrote on Facebook. “I can’t wait to see where we go with this project this next year!”

PHILLIPS student John had a message for Mr. Z’s students in Vancouver: “If it hadn’t been for you guys, we wouldn’t have this opportunity. And for that, I am very grateful.”

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YouthQuest, Loudoun Youth Reward Problem-Solving Teens

April 23, 2019 stevep News

2019 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition finalists

Students came up with so many good ideas for solving problems in Loudoun County, Virginia, this year that the judges in the annual Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition couldn’t pick only one grand prize winner.

The iloom – Returns to Work and Resi-lution teams finished the final round of competition with identical high scores, earning $1,000 apiece to support their projects. The contest, run by Loudoun Youth, Inc. and Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services, challenges teens to identify community problems and implement innovative solutions. The YouthQuest Foundation has been the prize money sponsor every year since 2012.

The iloom team answers questions from the judges at the final round of the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition. — *The iloom team answers questions from the judges at the final round of the 2019 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition*

Step Up “taught us the power of compassion,” Sahana Arumani said as she explained iloom to a panel of judges that included YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks on April 11.

The project she created along with Shreya Arun, Abhinav Babu and Pranav Babu mobilizes manufacturers, online retailers and volunteers to address community needs with returned merchandise. They established a nonprofit organization that now has chapters in four states, where businesses send returned items, which are then sent to charities or sold for cash that is donated to charities.

Step Up competitors approach problems with a combination of the latest technology and social networking, along with old-fashioned deal-making skills and dedication to their community. Persistence helps, too.

Lacey Tanner, a senior at Rock Ridge High School, who launched a Step Up project to clean up Beaverdam Creek Reservoir, was one of the 10 finalists two years ago. This year, she shared the first-place prize with Carter Casagrande, Annabelle Monte, Ava Turicchi and Joe Waxvik – Brambleton Middle School students she has trained to take over the project when she goes away to college. Their Resi-lution team is organizing trash pick-up events in the 1,000-acre park and raising money for a shed to store cleanup equipment in preparation for the reservoir reopening to the public after being drained for repairs.

Members of the Resi-lution team celebrate their first-place finish in the 2019 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition — *Members of the Resi-lution team celebrate their first-place finish*

Academy of Engineering and Technology student Sanjitha Prabakaran took home the $500 third-place award for STEM for Scouts. Her project encourages Girl Scouts to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and math through camps, classes and instructional videos.

Each of the other teams that reached the finals earned $250.

More than 200 students representing two dozen schools made presentations to judges in the preliminary round of this year’s Step Up competition on March 28 at Loudoun County Public Schools headquarters in Ashburn. Those 65 teams were narrowed down to the top 10, who competed in the finals on April 11 at the Brambleton Library.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks presents prize money check to Loudoun Youth CEO Jared Melvin at the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition finals on April 11, 2019 at the Brambleton Library. — *YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks presents the prize money check to Loudoun Youth CEO Jared Melvin*

Before announcing the winners, Loudoun Youth President and CEO Jared Melvin noted there were lots of familiar faces among the finalists. The Bridges team, which works to make sure students whose first language isn’t English feel included in activities at Park View High School, and COBRA, which educates people about healthy alternatives to cancer-causing foods, were among the Top 10 in 2018. So was Ari Dixit. In response to the overwhelming caseload school guidance counselors in the county face, he developed StudentCounselor, a voice-interface app. Last year, Ari won third prize for a similar project to help immigrants prepare for the U.S. citizenship test.

The results of the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition has been so positive since it began in 2004 that the organizers are preparing to challenge the other largest school systems in the nation to step up with similar programs of their own to solve community problems.

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Scholarship Contest Judge Praises Student Essays

December 28, 2018 stevep Blog

3D ThinkLink scholarship essay contest winner Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega with Freestate ChalleNGe Academy instructor Jamarr Dennis and YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks

Awarding scholarships is YouthQuest’s primary means of helping at-risk youth pursue job training or higher education after they complete our 3D ThinkLink class.

Twenty-two graduates of National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs have earned a total of $12,500 in scholarships since 2013 for essays they wrote about our training’s impact on their lives.

The latest winners are Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, Caleb Pearson from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy and Chigaru Todd from the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy. Each of them earned $1,000 to use for their continued education. All three were honored at ceremonies in mid-December at the end of their 22-week class cycle.

Author John Gilstrap, essay contest judge — *Author and contest judge John Gilstrap*

New York Times bestselling novelist John Gilstrap, author of the acclaimed Jonathan Grave thriller series, is the contest judge. He said he was pleased by the increase in the quality and quantity of the essays in this round of competition.

This was the first class cycle since John took part in an all-day meeting with the YouthQuest staff during the summer to discuss improving the results of the scholarship contest. It was part of the application process for the Drucker Prize, an award named for management expert Peter Drucker that recognizes innovation by nonprofit organizations.

Using the Drucker Institute’s resources, we took steps aimed at generating more high-quality essays including; telling cadets about the scholarship opportunity earlier in the class cycle, doubling the prize amount from $500 to $1,000, and providing clearer guidance for students and teachers.

John recorded some short videos to give students advice about writing their essays. He urged them not to turn in a laundry list of the cool things they made and saw.

“What I want to read about is how the 3D ThinkLink experience has affected your life,” he told them, “what it’s taught you about success and failure.”

‘My Path in Life Is Not Ultimately Decided by My Mistakes’

When Caleb Pearson first heard about 3D printing a few years ago, he assumed that it required “genius level skills in mathematics.” Caleb, who said he was never very good at math, was pleased to discover that he was able to create a 3D object after just three lessons in our class at South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

3D ThinkLInk scholarship winner Caleb Pearson from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy with YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks at Immersion Lab Week November 2018 — *Caleb Pearson with YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks in Lab*

Caleb explained in his scholarship-winning essay that our training also taught him a larger lesson.

“The key phrase during the class: mistakes are not final, nothing is so bad that you can’t come back from it,” he wrote. “I know I’ve learned that my path in life is not ultimately decided by my mistakes and that I am still working on a few that I’ve made. I know that I will still make more of them in future, hopefully not too many, and I’ll learn from those, too.”

“Right now I’m happy with the doors I’ve opened,” added Caleb, who hopes those open doors will lead to a career in engineering. He said his Vocational Orientation visit to the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in October “really solidified my resolve to pursue that career path.”

In his essay – and in this video recorded during Immersion Lab Week in November – Caleb recalled meeting Nathan Lambert, a graduate research assistant who helped lead the tour at UNCC. Like Caleb, Nathan said he struggled with math in high school and, in fact, he barely graduated. But his determination to become an engineer after six years in the military drove him to eventually become a top grad student in his department.

That was something “I could really relate to but had never heard before,” Caleb wrote.

Hearing Nathan’s story “lifted my spirits about my future in the engineering field,” he said.

‘I No Longer See Things With a Simple Mind’

Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega’s 3D ThinkLink experience didn’t start as well as Caleb’s did.

Eric Smith explains various types of welding to Cadet Stephanie Alvarez-Vega during the Vocational Orientation tour of The Foundery for our 3D ThinkLink students from Maryland's Freestate ChalleNGe Academy on October 9, 2018 in Baltimore. — *Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega at The Foundery*

“At first I wasn’t sure if I had made the right choice” by picking 3D instead of the welding program at Freestate, she wrote.

“I was kind of disappointed in the first 3D printing class because it was boring and nothing seemed to catch my attention and I wanted to drop out of the class as soon as possible!” Sthephanie recalled.

Her thinking turned around when the Freestate class visited The Foundery, an industrial makerspace in Baltimore, for Vocational Orientation.

While the cadets were looking at the many kinds of machines Foundery members can use, Sthephanie met Festus Jones III, a local craftsman who was working on laser-engraving projects. She asked him what he was doing, and he spent lots of time explaining how he creates elaborate designs and etches them into mirrors with a laser to make things like lighted signs for storefronts. He encouraged her to be confident in her artistic skills and learn the technical skills to create products she can sell.

“This made me change my perspective and made me realize how cool and unique things can be when you learn to build things on your own and you get a feeling of satisfaction when doing it,” said Sthephanie. She also talked about her “lightbulb moment” in this video from November Immersion Lab.

Looking back on her time in our class, Sthephanie said she appreciates how 3D printing lets her use her imagination and “think freely”

“I now realize that I made a great choice to stay with 3D printing because it got me to see the world and what revolves around me differently,” Sthephanie wrote. “I no longer see things with a simple mind.”

3D ThinkLink scholarship winner Chigaru Todd with 3D printers at Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy — *Chigaru Todd with 3D printers at CGYCA*

“One of my ultimate life goals is to be able to help my father financially by becoming self-sufficient,” wrote Capital Guardian’s Chigaru Todd, who grew up without a mom. “I watched him struggle to raise me as a young female. I believe that everything I do is in honor of my father.”

Chigaru described being “intrigued” by Moment of Inspiration 3D design software and feeling “empowered” after completing the first project in class, a personalized keychain tag.

“I plan to take the skills I learned from 3D printing and utilize them in my personal life,” Chigaru continued. “I hope to design personalized 3D print items that will provide another stream of income as an entrepreneur.”

A New Dimension in Performance

The key to YouthQuest’s future success is providing the at-risk teens we serve with more opportunities for vocational and academic achievement.

We’ve made our scholarship competition a priority because that’s where we can have the biggest immediate impact in helping former high school dropouts become successful, productive adults.

The changes we’ve made in the contest grew out of the discussions we had in crafting our application for the Drucker Prize, which rewards nonprofits that best exemplify business management expert Peter Drucker’s definition of innovation: “Change that creates a new dimension of performance.”

In doing so, we had to draw on the same critical thinking and problem-solving skills we teach at-risk youth through the 3D ThinkLink Initiative. We believe our innovative ideas will create a new dimension of performance for our organization and our students.

We hope the outstanding essays we received during the latest class cycle are an indication that the changes we’ve made will significantly increase the number of students who compete for scholarships, and the quality of their entries, in 2019 and beyond.

Click Here to Read the Three Winning Essays

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